"Go and invite Lord Han Fu in for a meeting," Cao Cao instructed Xiahou Yuan upon hearing this. "Also, immediately send someone to invite all the lords to a gathering. Tell them that Marquis Dingshan, Wang Han, has come here and wishes to meet with you all."
"Yes." Upon hearing this, Xiahou Yuan immediately accepted the order and went to make arrangements.
After Han Fu entered, he first glanced at the people inside, and then said to Zhang Shan, who was tall and strong, "Han Fu just heard that Marquis Dingshan has come here, so I came to pay my respects."
"..." Zhang Shan was speechless. He gestured to Wang Han beside him and said, "This is my lord."
Upon hearing this, Han Fu looked at Wang Han and couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. Wang Han did look rather thin and not particularly tall. Although the rumors about Marquis Dingshan Wang Han were somewhat exaggerated, he shouldn't be a rather thin person.
Seeing this, Cao Cao knew that Han Fu had some doubts, so he said, "This is Lord Wang Han, Marquis of Dingshan, without a doubt."
Upon hearing this, Han Fu temporarily set aside his doubts and said to Wang Han, "Han Fu, the governor of Yizhou, has come to pay his respects."
"Please sit down," Wang Han said.
After Han Fu sat down, he asked, "Where is Lord Wang Han's fiefdom located now?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Han replied, "I have no fiefdom."
Upon hearing this, Han Fu replied, "Since there is no fiefdom, I wonder if Lord Wang Han would be willing..."
Cao Cao watched Han Fu make a fool of himself from the side. He knew that Han Fu probably came to win over Wang Han, but Wang Han's status was higher than that of Han Fu, the governor. Han Fu's status was not high enough to even ask for help from Wang Han.
"My lord, Lord Yuan Shao, the leader of the alliance, has come to pay a visit to Lord Wang Han, the Marquis of Dingshan, with gifts." Before Han Fu could finish speaking, Xiahou Dun came in to report.
"Quickly, invite them in," Cao Cao said. "Lord Wang, Lord Han, since it is the alliance leader who has arrived, let's go out together to greet him."
“Alright.” Wang Han nodded and said. After all, Yuan Shao was the leader of the coalition of warlords, so it was necessary to go out and greet him.
"Mengde, the Marquis of Dingshan is here, and you didn't even tell me. This is making me, Yuan Shao, lose my manners." Upon seeing Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao immediately said to Cao Cao, while looking at Wang Han and the others, saying, "Which one of you is Marquis of Dingshan, Wang Han? Mengde, please introduce him quickly."
Wang Han bowed and said, "Lord Yuan, this is me. I just arrived at Sishui Pass yesterday and haven't had a chance to pay my respects yet. Please forgive me."
"Marquis Dingshan, you are too kind." Upon seeing this, Yuan Shao quickly returned the greeting and said, "You are a marquis personally appointed by His Majesty, which is equivalent to a member of the Han imperial family. I should be the one to pay my respects first."
(After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, the Qin Dynasty's twenty ranks of nobility were continued. According to the "Table of Officials and Ministers" in the Book of Han: "Rank: First rank is Gongshi, second rank is Shangzao, third rank is Zanniao, fourth rank is Bugeng, fifth rank is Daifu, sixth rank is Guandaifu, seventh rank is Gongdaifu, eighth rank is Gongcheng, ninth rank is Wudaifu, tenth rank is Zuoshuzhang, eleventh rank is Youshuzhang, twelfth rank is Zuogeng, thirteenth rank is Zhonggeng, fourteenth rank is Yougeng, fifteenth rank is Shaoshangzao, sixteenth rank is Dashangzao, seventeenth rank is Sicheshuzhang, eighteenth rank is Dashuzhang, nineteenth rank is Guanneihou, twentieth rank is Chehou." Ranks one through four were all soldiers. Ranks five through nine were equivalent to Daifu, all military officers. Commoners could not exceed the rank of Gongcheng; any rank exceeding this had to be returned to a member of their clan. Ranks ten through eighteen were equivalent to the Nine Ministers, all military generals. This refers to equal rank, not equivalent position. Ranks nineteen and twentieth were both marquises. The nineteenth rank was Guanneihou, between noble and official ranks, but still...) Within the category of official ranks, these were meritorious titles, not equivalent to official positions. They included fiefdoms and tax revenue, but no official salary or authority to manage the fiefdoms. The 20th rank, Marquis, was a title with a fiefdom, the highest point of military merit, comparable to the title of Prince of the Commandery, which could only be granted to members of the Han imperial family. Both Marquis and Prince of the Commandery were noble titles. Above Marquis were the titles of King and Marquis, held by members of the Han imperial family. Here, King and Marquis were Commandery Kings, while "Jun" was a true noble title, such as the Prince of Zhongshan, an ancestor of Liu Bei, or the Prince of Chenliu, a brother of a Han emperor. The fiefdoms of Marquis and Prince of the Commandery (generally held by members of the Han imperial family, at the level of a prince) could be called kingdoms, and they exercised ruling power, known as vassal states. Furthermore, the Han Dynasty did not have the title of Duke, and kings of other surnames were not granted titles of king. The granting of titles of kings to non-Han surnames indicated a weakened state (as seen with Cao Cao's title of King of Wei).
Yuan Shao's family held the title of "Four Generations of Three Dukes," a high-ranking official position with a noble rank of 18 or below, receiving an official salary. Wang Han was a nominal marquis, equivalent to a noble title for a member of the Han imperial family, thus holding a higher status than Yuan Shao. Many marquises existed in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, but they were not noble marquises; they were marquises based on military merit. These included county marquises (like Lü Bu, whose fief was Wen County), township marquises (like Zhuge Liang, the Marquis of Wangxiang), and pavilion marquises (like Guan Yu, the Marquis of Hanshou). They were only titled marquises within the pass. (Those unfamiliar with this can search online.)
After Yuan Shao finished speaking, he glanced at Han Fu and Cao Cao, implying that Wang Han was a noble marquis personally appointed by His Majesty, equivalent to a member of the Han imperial family. He felt that even his status as a member of the four generations of high-ranking officials was too low, and that the status of a general of cavalry and a governor of the Han dynasty was not enough to impress them.
Han Fu, seeing Yuan Shao's gaze, immediately understood Yuan Shao's meaning, and his face flushed with embarrassment.
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